‘Hard-Working Single Mom’ Legally Purchased Handgun Following Two Robberies — Now She Might Go to Jail After Admitting She Had It

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A Philadelphia mom is facing up to three years in jail on weapons related charges after she voluntarily told a New Jersey officer when pulled over that she was traveling out of state with her handgun.

Shaneen Allen, 27, was pulled over last October in Atlantic City for a routine traffic stop and informed the officer that she had a handgun in the vehicle. She also presented the officer with her Pennsylvania concealed carry permit, WCAU-TV reported.

A single Philadelphia mother might go to jail on weapons related charges for “voluntarily” informing officer she was traveling out of state with a handgun. (Image source: Facebook via WCAU-TV)

The 27-year-old, however, quickly learned that New Jersey was not one of the 30 states that recognize Pennsylvania permits. Instead of simply getting a traffic ticket, she was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and armor penetrating bullets.

“She voluntarily and honestly told the officer that she had her licensed handgun and gave him her license to carry,” Allen’s attorney Evan Nappen told WCAU, noting that the mother of two said she did not know it was illegal to carry her handgun as she traveled through the state.

“She voluntarily and honestly told the officer that she had her licensed handgun…”

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“She’s a hard-working single mom,” he added. “It’s really crazy that New Jersey is taking someone who’s got no criminal record and was doing nothing wrong — other than a minor traffic violation — and making it into a felony-level conviction with minimal mandatory time.”

Nappen told WCAU that Allen had purchased the firearm about a week before her arrest because she feared for her safety after having been robbed twice earlier in the year.

Allen will seek to have all charges dismissed when she appears in court August 5, her attorney told WCAU.